Time to bring out those old home movies and share them with others at “Home Movie Day,” this coming Saturday at SCATV.

‘Home Movie Day’ comes to Somerville*

By Maria A. Cortes

On October 20, bring your old films to the Somerville Community Access Television for Home Movie Day. Celebrated all over the world, it encourages people to share their home movies – whether on film or in digital format – with the community, and provides a chance for film archivists to educate people about old film preservation and care.

It started back in 2002, when a group of film archivists concerned about the future of home movies decided to bring them back to life from the dusty shelves. Thus, the idea of Home Movie Day was born. With the help of sponsors and volunteers, the event has grown dramatically over the years. On its tenth anniversary this October, Home Movie Day will be celebrated in seventeen countries worldwide, including the U.S., Canada, Argentina, Brazil, France, and United Kingdom to name a few.

The Home Movie Day screening will begin at 12:00 p.m. at the Somerville Community Access Television, located at 90 Union Square in Somerville, and will run until 3:00 p.m. People are encouraged to bring their home films (super 8, 8mm, and 16mm) the week prior the event for damage inspection to SCAT offices or the Harvard Film Archive programming office, located at 24 Quincy street in Cambridge. Audio, VHS, DVD, and other digital formats are acceptable as well; however, digital movies should be cued before the event and should be limited to five minutes.

Home Movie Day will provide a great opportunity for those who would like to see their family films on a big screen, and also for the audience who will get a chance to explore the world of enchanting amateur movies. Moreover, participating film archivists will be providing information about proper film care and preservation.